{
  "id": 260448,
  "title": "More than 50 decomposing bodies found at Far South Side funeral home",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/more-than-50-decomposing-bodies-found-at-far-south-side-funeral-home-260448",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-07T10:41:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CBS News",
    "slug": "cbs-news",
    "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-side-funeral-homes-license-suspended-over-decomposing-bodies-and-deplorable-conditions/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Thursday evening, Chicago police were seen moving in and out of South Chicago Chapel, a funeral home located at the intersection of 95th Street and Exchange Avenue on the Far South Side. The facility was the subject of an investigation after over fifty decomposing bodies were discovered inside, their conditions described as deplorable. State regulators had previously suspended the funeral director's license, Johanna Morgan, due to the unsafe and unsanitary environment in which the bodies were being stored.\n\nChicago police spokespersons referred inquiries to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, which confirmed receipt of notification from both city and state officials regarding the improper storage of bodies at the funeral home. The medical examiner's office stated that their investigators and forensic pathologists had found more than fifty decedents at the facility, each in different stages of decomposition. They are currently assessing the conditions of the bodies and searching for documentation to identify them, a process that could take several days.\n\nMorgan, the funeral director at South Chicago Chapel until May of 2025, had allowed the bodies to be kept in an unrefrigerated area plagued by rodent and maggot infestations. This led to further decomposition and contamination of the corpses. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation confirmed the suspension of Johanna Morgan's license, citing the danger posed to public safety, interest, and welfare by the continuing practice of storing bodies in such unsanitary conditions.\n\nLocal resident V, who has lived directly behind South Chicago Chapel for about a year, has frequently experienced a foul odor emanating from the facility. She described the smell as akin to a dead mouse, emphasizing that it is an exceedingly unpleasant and persistent issue. On Thursday, staff from Emmanuel Funeral Home & Cremation Services arrived at South Chicago Chapel to retrieve a body, unaware of the ongoing investigation. Despite having spoken with the facility earlier in the day, they were unaware that the situation had escalated to a full-blown police operation.",
  "summary": "Chicago police and state investigators are currently examining a Far South Side funeral home after the discovery of more than 50 decomposing bodies inside the facility. The funeral director's license has been suspended due to the deplorable conditions, which included rodent and maggot infestations. The Chicago Police Department and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office have confirmed that they were notified about the improper storage of bodies at the South Chicago Chapel funeral home. The medical examiner's office is now assessing the conditions of the bodies and searching for identification documents, a process that may take several days.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}